Escorted Tours 2022-23 Brochure - Mercury Holidays

East Asia Departures & from prices 4 May 22 £3,199 24 May 23 £3,399 16 Nov 22 £3,199 7 Jun 23 £3,399 15 Mar 23 £3,499 13 Sep 23 £3,649 22 Mar 23 £3,499 18 Oct 23 £3,599 19 Apr 23 £3,399 15 Nov 23 £3,199 3 May 23 £3,199 29 Nov 23 £3,099 • A single supplement starts from just £679 Kyoto, Japan Day 1: UK to Osaka Depart the UK on your overnight flight, via Beijing. Day 2: Osaka to Kyoto On arrival in Osaka, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in the nearby city of Kyoto. Day 3: Kyoto B Experience traditional Japan at its finest as you tour Kyoto, a city boasting 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Enjoy double visions of gold as you witness the gold-leafed pavilion of Kinkaku-ji. Visit Fushimi Inari and stroll through a colourful arcade of vivid red ‘torii’, or shrine gates, inscribed with dedications to Inari, the god of rice. Browse the maze of food stalls in the 400-year-old Nishiki Market, then continue on to the geisha district of Gion. Day 4: Kyoto B/D A day trip to Nara allows you to delve into the cultural legacy of Japan’s ancient former capital. Visit the Buddhist complex at Todaiji Temple, then continue to Nara Park to watch roaming deer. Travel back to Kyoto for dinner and geisha performance. Day 5: Kyoto to Tokyo B After breakfast, catch a public train to the station to board your train to Tokyo, journeying past rolling vistas and through traditional towns. On arrival, check-in and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Day 6: Tokyo B/L A full-day of sightseeing begins at Sensoji, Tokyo’s oldest temple. Wander down Nakamise Shopping Street to reach the main hall and pagodar. Next, follow in the footsteps masterful sushi chefs at a sushi-making class then continue on to the area of Ginza, the country’s biggest luxury shopping and entertainment district. End your tour in Akihabara Electric Town, a maze of elaborately decorated high rises houses gadgets and gizmos galore. Day 7: Tokyo B After breakfast, visit Hakone National Park, home to Mount Fuji. Take a cable car ride to a mountaintop station offering spectacular views of Lake Ashi and Fuji’s snow-capped peak. From here, a short walking trail leads to Owakudani Valley, an active volcanic crater, with hot springs and bubbling pools. Day 8: Tokyo to Shanghai B/D Transfer for your flight to Shanghai. On arrival, experience this fast-paced metropolis with a visit to the Bund, Shanghai’s waterside walkway, followed by a stroll along Nanjing Road. Day 9: Shanghai B/L/D Enjoy the colonial era and traditional Chinese elements of the city on today’s tour. Explore the tranquil pavilions, rockeries and ponds of Yu Garden, the tree-lined avenues and chic eateries of the French Concession and the charming alleyways of the Old Town before visiting Shanghai Museum. Day 10: Shanghai to Xi’an B/L/D After breakfast, board your bullet train to Xi’an, where on your arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in time for dinner. Day 11: Xi’an B/L/D Taking nearly four decades to complete and over 700,000 workers, explore Xi’an’s 8,000 Terracotta Warriors, before visiting the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and the Muslim Quarter. Later this evening, enjoy a colourful Tang Dynasty dancing show. Day 12: Xi’an to Beijing B/L/D Today, visit Xi’an’s City Wall, a stretch of fortifications which provides dramatic views over the city. Later, board an overnight sleeper train to Beijing. Day 13: Beijing B/L/D On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel, before visiting the iconic Great Wall, constructed over 2,000 years ago to guard the Chinese Empire against Mongol invaders. Continue to Liulichang Antique Culture Street and the historic stores of Qianmen Dashilan. Day 14: Beijing B/L/D Start today exploring the impressive Tiananmen Square, then continue to the vast Forbidden Palace and the tranquil Temple of Heaven. Later, experience the delicacy of a Peking duck dinner. Day 15: Beijing to the UK B After breakfast, transfer for your return flight to the UK. China and Japan’s Rail Odyssey Tour highlights ✔ Tour Kyoto, Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai ✔ Visit the Golden Pavilion of Kinkaku-ji and coloured gates of Fushimi Inari ✔ Marvel at the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Terracotta Army and Forbidden Palace ✔ Witness iconic Mount Fuji from Hakone National Park ✔ Enjoy a Tang Dynasty Show and Peking duck dinner Tour includes • 13 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 8 dinners • 3 and 4 H accommodation: Kyoto-Royal Park Hotel, Tokyo-The B Ikebukuro, Shanghai-Ocean Hotel, Xi’an- Jianguo Hotel, Xi’an to Beijing *Overnight sleeper train, Beijing-Landmark Hotel • Flights from London Heathrow to Japan (via Beijing) and returning from China with Air China Tour pace: Challenging Uncover the ancient city sights of China and the neon-lit districts of Japan, two countries bound by their Buddhist ties and imperial histories yet offering wildly different cultural, culinary and natural attractions. Kyoto Tokyo Shanghai Xi’an Beijing    < <   China Japan Rail Air Rail Tour *Upgrade to a private soft sleeper/compartment on overnight train from £119 81 Hundreds more escorted tours are available on our website www.mercuryholidays.co.uk